Day 17 - Where for art thou, Rain?

I wished it would rain in Southern California already.

O Rain, Rain! Where for art thou, Rain?

Deny thy wind and refuse thy sun;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn by droplets,

And I'll no longer need to complain.

But rain in July in Southern California? Never heard of that before....

Day 16 - Girlie?

Here is my pink collection. I am not obsessed with pink because, how I see it, there are so many beautiful colors in the world, why limit yourself to just one? One of my girlfriends once told me, "you don't seem like a pink girl." Well...I am not completely a pink girl but I do like variation. Life is interesting when you see more colors. :) Actually - I think my favorite color combination is tea rose and chocolate, in other words, pink and brown.

Day 15 - Dim Sum - Chicken Feet

MMmmmm...chicken feet. One of my favorites for dim sum.

Day 14 - Comfort Food - Trieu Chau Restaurant

Trieu Chau Restaurant

4401 W 1st Street

Santa Ana, CA 92703

(714) 775-1536

The husband and I were regulars at this restaurant when we were living under our parents' roof. Ever since the husband and I have our own nest, we do not dine at this establishment as much because of distance but it is still one of my favorite restaurants.

It's not the cleanest restaurant around or the prettiest. The waiters are middle aged men who've been around for many years. There is always a wait of at least 10 minutes. Some of the people who dine here have no dining etiquette. (One time, I remembered waiting outside and I ended up staring at a woman, chewing with her mouth open and talking at the same time. I know you are not supposed to stare when people eat but this was one of the worst moments of my dining experience. I was completely appalled.) Yet I continue to return to this restaurant. I return time and time again because, for me, it's comfort food. The food arrives on your table within minutes after ordering. The people are not pretentious, the prices are awesome and the food is wonderful.

Also, the waiter seems to always remember my order! It's been several months since the husband and I have been back before today and yet....somehow...my favorite waiter managed to remember me and my usual order! What more can I ask for?

I always order bánh bột lọc which is similar to bánh canh except the noodles are smaller. Bánh bột lọc and bánh canh are white noodles made up of a combination of of rice and tapioca powder. These noodles are similar to the Japanese udon. Anyhoo - Trieu Chau's broth is very flavorful (probably soaked in MSG but I'm not complaining). Each bowl of soup comes with one piece of chicken or two (if you're lucky), one piece of duck, two fish balls, three or four shrimps, one slice of fried fish cake, one slice of pork liver and one slice of pork meat topped with scallions. I add blanched bean sprouts, a lime or two and then for the next 10 minutes, I joyously consume my lunch. Oh, and I never slurp up the soup. I NEVER SLURP up the broth to any noodle soups at any Asian restaurant. Why not you might ask? Well, my wise mother once told me that the broth at most Asian restaurants were full of MSG, so although I love Trieu Chau and I don't really care if I have MSG in my food or not but just because it's tasty doesn't mean it's good for you. Each bowl of soup is about $5 to $6. Between the husband and me, our bill usually comes out to be about $12 to $13 before tip.

Kermie, My Office Mate

Since I did not leave the office building on this lovely Friday, I was pondering what would be my photo inspiration for today. That was when I looked to my left...and saw...Kermie. Kermie is my office mate. He is great because he's quiet and he does not engage in office gossip. He greets me each morning when I arrive in the office and bids me farewell each night as I leave. And he is not attached to me. Oh...and he's low maintenance. Doesn't require feeding, maybe an occasional dusting.

Kermie came to me in a McDonald's Happy Meal bag one day. Normally I eat my meal and toss whatever is in that bag or give the prize to someone who wants it. I guess it was Kermie's lucky day because I decided to keep him and he's been my office mate ever since.

By the way - Kermie officially got his name today while I was driving home. ;-P

Day 12 - A Collection Worth Keeping

I am working on a craft project that needs to be completed by this weekend so I do not have a lot of time to write, in which case, I leave this image for you.

I collect Martha Stewart Living. I've been a loyal subscriber for about 6 years now except I strayed for about six months to a year. I could go on about Martha Stewart but it'll just have to be another day.

Day 11 - My Kind of Shot

I don't like A LOT of alcohol. I think it is because I don't like anything bitter. It leaves me wanting to gag and I've come to being very close to gagging on a few occasions. There are a few alcohol that I can take like a Midori Sour and.....PATRON. It is one of the few shots I can take without wanting to hurl. Give me some salt to sprinkle on my fist, a lime or two and I am good to go. :-)

However...I don't do Jose Cuevas. Many years ago when I first tried Patron, someone told me it was tequila. I thought all tequila was created equal. Boy was I wrong. I realized that when, one summer I was in Vegas with my cousins and we decided to take tequila shots. That was when I knew there was a difference between tequila and Patron. Tequila = no good. Patron = awww. If there was one alcohol that I wanted to get drunk with.....

Day 10 - My Addiction

Everybody has an addiction of some sort. Some people are addicted to alcohol or drugs or even sleep, here's my addiction. Each sip goes right to my tummy and thighs and yet it's so hard to resist!

Day 9 - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

With the sun shining through the windows and the wind sending its gentle breeze through my screen door on a lazy summer afternoon, I was curled up on my couch watching this movie and I found myself a little nostalgic for the yesteryears. It was quite perfect timing, perfect weather and the perfect day for such a movie. The only thing that was missing were my girlfriends hence the yearning for yesteryears.

This was a sweet movie reminding us of why we have our gal pals. It is about four girls who’ve recently graduated high school and are about to step into the next stage of life. Advanced education. The movie takes you on a journey through the life of each girl as she grows to a young woman and you see how each girl tries to stay connected to each other by a pair of blue jeans that’s been passed around for several years. Of course with the changing of time – personalities and perspectives change. It is an inevitable part of life. So what does that mean? As each girl is wrapped up in her own affair – you feel the creeping of distance growing and almost pulling the girls apart but alas…it only takes one or two important events to pull the girls back together and they are reminded, once again, why they are good friends. If only life can sometimes imitate art…

And then I wrapped up the evening with Sex and The City – the movie.

A perfect chronology of life’s major events all wrapped up in about 4 hours time. No, I did not purposely choose to watch chick flicks one right after the other. I am not that creative. If I did, I would have called it a girls’ night but I was missing the girls.

Day 8 - A Pleasant Exchange

Today is officially the first day of summer. What a wonderful day to kick off summer with the sun shining through the sky and the temperature at a pleasant 75 degrees Farenheit. Perfect weather with a slight breeze.

Sometimes I forget how close we are to the beach. It's one of those things where I take for granted until I am actually in the moment and am reminded once again, the reason why I am a Southern Californian girl.

I was strolling along the pier and caught these two men enjoying a pleasant exchange of some sort. One wonders what they were discussing but somehow I think I know and it probably has to do with gills and fins. I briefly got a chance to talk to the man under the hood and he showed me his achievement for today. He caught four fish. I guess I know what he's having for dinner tonight. ;-)

Day 7 - The Start of Summer

I've had my camera for several years now but I used to hate carrying my camera with me. I blame it partly because of my older camera bag. It was heavy and lugging that bag around kind of de-glamourized (if there is such a word) photography for me. My other reason for not carrying my camera was because EVERYONE I knew was carrying his or her camera. I didn't need to take a picture of the dessert we had for lunch when I could see it from three different sources! ;P Recently I changed camera bags AND I decided the only way to improve my photo taking skills was to actually use my camera.

While I am a novice at photography, I enjoy photographing people more than I do of still life. I find photographing still-life not challenging (yeah...I know...I shouldn't be speaking since I am no world reknowned photographer but it's my blog) and to capture a laugh, a smile or that sweet twinkle in one's eyes takes more skills.

Anyhoo....I do not have little nieces or nephews so my wonderful friend enlisted her niece, Little H, as my photo subject for today (of course with Little H's parents' permission). Little H's mom has kindly enlisted Little H to be my photo model for life. :D Little H is 2 1/2 years old. She's got the biggest eyes and longest lashes I've ever seen for an Asian kid. Too bad you won't get to see it here.

Anyhoo...the sun was setting and created this lighting effect that I was hoping to be able to capture. (Note to self - taking pictures of 2 1/2 years old is not as easy as it looks. At one year old - they crawl or walk like a little drunk meaning they are slow. From two to four - they are walking around, getting them to sit still or do what you want them to do requires bribes. From five onward - they are more willing to pose for you.)

Seeing little H in the picture below makes me wish I was still a child chasing sweet nothings at the start of summer.

Day 6 - Sweet Surprises

A little surprise from the husband today.

Day 5 - Childhood Memories

Today was one of those days where I wanted to forget the minute I stepped into my office. Either that or tell some people to go to hell. Yes, I was having one of those days and no I was not PMS-ing.

Then the day ended and I arrived home. I wanted "Pho" BUT the husband was napping at 6:30 p.m. so "Pho" was out of the question and I was hungry. I grumbled and mumbled bad words as I walked towards the pantry cabinet. I opened the door and there sat a box titled Honey Nut Cheerios sitting on the shelf calling out to me. Ah...childhood memories...cereal for dinner....if only life could be like a box of Honey Nut Cheerios - simple and sweet.

Day 4 - The Love for Books

I read. I don't get to do it as much as I want to but I do try to read at least a book a month. As you can see from my collection, I read all sorts of books.

I love books and I've read since I could recite my ABC's back in kindergarten or first grade. I remembered picking up books with such titles as Amelia Earhart, Eleanor Roosevelt and Helen Keller in the third grade. As I progressed through elementary school, I read The Babysitters' Club and Sweet Valley Twins. How could anyone forget Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield??

Now that I am older, I continue to read various books that catch my interest. I think it is a bit sad that not everyone enjoys reading but I don't expect people's hobbies to be the same. I do think that we are so occupied with modern amentities like DirectTV and the internet that sometimes picking up a book is considered a complete bore. I think the best books are the ones that can get you to cry, laugh, giggle or become angry at a character or situation. How about picking up a book the next time you consider turning on the TV? Or maybe not...

Day 3 - What's So Interesting?

Once a year - I torture my furkids by taking them in for their dental work. This year was no exception. It's torture for them but a total ordeal for me. What I mean by an ordeal is because they stink up my car, they do not sit still once the car is put into park and they bark at anything and everything that crosses their path. Oh and they cost me a pretty penny. Today was the worst. These dogs better appreciate all that I have done for them. ;P

I brought the first batch in yesterday. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to snap a picture of yesterday's furkids because Snickers (the dad) was all over the car. It took all my energy to subdue him. Actually - I think he subdue me. However, today I got my chance. (Oh yes, I transport my dogs in a laundry basket.) It's easy and they sit still while I am driving.

After signing in with the receptionist - I kept my dogs company and snapped this picture below. Today is day 3 of Project 365 and I like my dogs. Well, I adore my dogs. Except when they pee, poop and bark. Now let me introduce you to these three.

# 1 (Far left - in the front with her tongue hanging over.) Turning six years old in September, she is our alpha female. Almost everything is alpha about her. What I mean by alpha is she is the dominant dog. She is numero uno. She is the gangleader, the bully and the aggressor. She was the biggest out of the litter and she STILL is the biggest out of the leader. The husband thinks she is my favorite and I reluctantly will admit that there is alittle of favoritism towards her. I try to treat my dogs equally but by gosh...I am only human. She is the smartest with her wit to pick up tricks like shaking hands and sitting. Of course - it could be because food is her enticement and we use that to get her to do what we want. We have nicknames for #1 - "Oink, Oink," "Miss Piggy," and "The Bully."

# 2 (Middle - far back.) She is also turning six this year and is a middle child. I have one word for her. LAZY. I let the dogs out each morning and she always remains behind. I literally have to kick her out of the crate. And in the evening when I want the dogs to return back to the crate – I simply open the back door and call out their names – she remains behind! My parents complain that she requires them to carry her inside. I don’t believe in that. I walk outside carrying a broom and that is enough for her to run inside. :D She also has some freaking skin allergy that I’ve been trying to figure out for about two years now. :( The thing I like about #2 is that she just minds her own business and likes to do her own thing. Her nickname is "Lazy."

#3 – (Far right.) She is also turning six years old and is another middle child. I think she has the middle child syndrome. I truly believe that she instigates some of the fights that have happened between her and # 1. She’ll look at you with those innocent doggie eyes while trying to figure out how to make a run for it. She managed to break one of her paw fingers two years ago trying to escape our garage. You can actually see her screwed up finger in the picture below. It is the left paw when you are looking directly at her. You will notice the third finger from the left in is slightly tilted right. Yup…that is the screwed up finger. Her nickname is, "The Instigator."

My silly dogs....I groan when I hear them bark at the bus, the possum, the neighbor, the bird or whatever else that catches their attention yet they bring a smile to my face when I see them sleep with their bellies in the air or when they chase after each other in a game of cat and mouse.

Day 2 - My Favorite Drink

Water. I know. Boring but it does a body good - wait, is that milk?

Anyhoo....my friend has been posting a picture a day on her Facebook. It is called Project 365. I thought that was a neat idea but I'd like posting this project on my blog because I am hoping to achieve a few things.

1. Of course - the obvious is an image a day.
2. This will ensure that I will also update my blog daily. Get ready to read some mundane posts!
3. The images will consist of something I like or something I have seen for the first time.
4. I plan to carry around my Canon Rebel XTI and 50 mm lens. I really like this lens in that it is lightweight and the images come out sharp. :)

Today is something I like. Water aka H2O. Very important for your health. Water replenishes your body and great for the skin. Occasionally causing bloatedness but that's minor details. I would recommend eight 8 ounces a day.

Day 1 - Sunday Brunch

My parents, ECA and PJ came over today for Father's day brunch. My attempt at eggs benedict the other day was a complete flop and I did not have enough time to test again due to some urgent work matters...yadee...yadee..yadee.

The actual menu:

• Freshly squeezed orange juice
• Omelette consisted of ham, red bell peppers, onions, asparagus, green onions and cheese
• Maple glazed bacon
• Sliced fried ham
• Thomas English muffin
• Carrot cupcakes wtih cream cheese frosting
• Fresh strawberries

Anyhoo...unfortunately I did not get a chance to take pictures of the before or the after. The only picture I was able to capture is the one below. My charming centerpiece and a lone carrot cupcake. By the way - the carrot cupcakes turned out well after I switched recipe. The recipe can be found here. I used the same cream cheese frosting but cut the sugar down to one cup and added a little bit more of cream cheese.

Eggs Benedict

My attempt at eggs benedict tonight = FAILED!!! NO GO!! DO NOT PASS!!

The feeling of discouragement is slowly creeping in me...

Carrot Cupcakes w/Cream Cheese Frosting Attempt #1

I attempted to make carrot cupcakes this past Tuesday and here I am sitting at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday morning attempting to blog about my baking experience. Why so late? Partly because I am anxious to blog about it and partly because I am a night owl. There's a saying that goes something like this, "The early bird catches the worm," but I think the night owl catches the mouse! Now if you were an animal, what would be more appealing? A skinny and slimy worm with no meat or a juicy succulent mouse? Hmm...ok...maybe both do not sound all that appealing but you get my drift. ;-)

Back to baking. I am not all that new to baking. Actually I've baked before. At one point in my life I thought I could be the next Betty Crocker but over the years and some attempts of baking has kind of suck the fun out of baking. I usually like to learn from other people's mistakes because, frankly, I cannot make all the mistakes myself, but baking REALLY requires me to make my own mistakes! :-( It's trial and error! In the past - I would automatically become discouraged after one failed attempt at a recipe. Needless to say...I've failed so many times on baking that I've taken a LONG sabbathical from baking AND cooking. I'd try a recipe once, didn't like the outcome and never attempted to try the recipe again.

Also, in previous years, a cookbook would be the norm for trying a new recipe. However, for the last three or four years, the baking and cooking communities have expanded like rapid fire! The expansion is a result of such networks like the Food Network (where I think has glamourized food) and the blogging world! Food is EVERYWHERE! (I partly hold the blogging community responsible for me not fitting in my clothes!)

Anyhoo...back to my carrot cupcake experience. The carrot cake recipe can be found here. Below are my measurements. Yes, I am one of those anal people who measure all her ingredients out. I think it's due to fear that I will screw up on the recipe and yet I still manage to screw up...sometimes.
Then, I took "HER" out. I haven't used her in ages. Poor thing...she's been sitting in the cabinet collecting dust. (Yes, I washed and cleaned her before I started my baking process.) She was given to me by the husband while we were dating. It was one of those birthday or Christmas gifts. She's been with me for about four or five years now. I know she misses me and feels neglected as I've only taken her out for a "mix" a few times. She's trusty, does her job but oh man, she weighs a ton! (Just don't tell her that! ;P)

As evidence that she did do her job, please see below. My carrot cake batter. Looks yummy enough.
This is after 20 minutes of baking. The cupcakes were nicely golden. Still looks yummy enough.

After about 5 minutes of cooling in the cupcake pans, I took them out and placed them on the cooling rack. Still looks yummy enough.

While the cupcakes were cooling, I started making the cream cheese frosting. The recipe can be found on Karens Cookies Cakes and More's website or simply here. She mentioned the recipe was very sweet so I cut the sugar down to 1.5 cups. Still sweet and I really couldn't taste the cream cheese. I think the next time I try this frosting recipe, I will use 1.25 cups. (Wondering to myself if that is still going to be too sweet.)

The finale! Doesn't look so bad huh? Looks yummy enough. The verdict - well, the cake was moist, zesty and I couldn't taste the carrot. It's not bad, really it's not. It's just not carrot cake. It is more like an orange flavored cupcake. So attempt one = FAILED. However, I will not get discouraged this time. I will try another recipe tomorrow night. This time - I will make sure it's a carrot cake recipe. I should have realized something was strange when the recipe only asked for 1 cup of grated carrots but asked for orange juice and orange zest.

Oh by the way, this is another reason why I try not to bake or cook.

Last but not least...I must give props to the baker and cooker bloggers out there. I don't know how they manage to do both but baking and taking pictures simultaneously is exhausting!

Oh I forgot to share this photo below. I keep my confectioner's sugar AKA powdered sugar in this little cutie. :-)

The Art of Planning

I've been racking my brain for the last week or so trying to figure out what to do for Father's day and it finally dawned on me. Poof! Just like that! Well, not really. I was browsing through my William Sonoma Entertaining book, which I might add, I have not opened up until now. I received this book from a former co-worker probably about two years ago. Needless to say, I do not do much entertaining.

Anyhoo - my parents have hinted to me, well, more like complain, that they have never eaten at our place since we've moved in and it's been over three years. So it occurred to me as I was flipping the pages of Entertaining, I shall host a Father's Day brunch. A lovely idea I might add.

The thing is, I have a love hate relationship with "entertaining." I love all that goes into entertaining and when I do entertain, it is a wonderful experience to see that my guests are well-fed and happy. However, getting from point A (the desire to entertain) to point B (the actual planning) is where the difficulty lies. I spend so much time planning (point B) by making sure the house is squeaky clean, ie bathrooms clean, trash dumped, there is toilet paper, towels washed, there is enough food and decor, that, frankly, I don't want to do it (point A). However, when I do get over the hurdle of point A, point B is a great fun and point C is wonderful as that is where I can see everything unfold on the actual day.

So, for the next two weeks, I will work on my plans creating and possibly trying the menu on the husband. ;-)

The Menu:

- Mimosas or just orange juice
- Carrot muffins with cream cheese frosting or banana nut bread
- Eggs benedict
- Roasted asparagus
- Berry trifle

The menu seems simple enough, I hope.